Psychiatrist: Stimulant Medication Use May Explain High PTSD Rates.

In an opinion piece in the New York Times (4/22, SR5, Subscription Publication), Richard A. Friedman, MD, of Weill Cornell Medical College, wrote that while conventional wisdom underlies the belief that the high rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is caused by the longevity and severity of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, “there is another factor that might be playing a role in the increasing rates of the disorder, one that has escaped attention: the military’s use of stimulant medications, like Ritalin [methylphenidate HCl] and Adderall [amphetamine, dextroamphetamine mixed salts], in our troops.” Friedman cited data revealed by the Department of Defense that “the number of Ritalin and Adderall prescriptions written for active-duty service members increased by nearly 1,000 percent in five years.” Friedman then called for “a rigorous epidemiologic study of a possible link between stimulants and PTSD in our troops.”

Related Links:

— “Why Are We Drugging Our Soldiers?,”Richard Friedman , The New York Times, April 21, 2012.

Posted in In The News.